December 3, 2017

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AND THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI ACCEPT BIDS TO PLAY IN ACADEMY SPORTS + OUTDOORS TEXAS BOWL

HOUSTON – The University of Texas and the University of Missouri have accepted bids to play in the 2017 Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl, the bowl organizing committee announced today. The University of Texas will represent the Big 12 Conference and the University of Missouri will represent the Southeastern Conference. The 2017 Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl will be played on Wednesday, Dec. 27, at 8 p.m. CT and will be televised nationally on ESPN.

“We are thrilled to announce the 2017 Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl game between the University of Texas and the University of Missouri, two excellent programs from the Big 12 and SEC,” remarked Board Chairman Don Faust, Jr. “Our community is eager to host these teams and their passionate fan bases for a festive bowl week of Texas-themed events across Houston and at NRG Stadium on game day. We look forward to this exciting meeting between these two teams at this year’s Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl.”

The University of Texas and the University of Missouri have met 23 times with a 17-6 record in the Longhorns’ favor. The history between the two teams began in 1894 where the Tigers were victorious in a 28-0 shutout. One of the biggest games between the two was the 1946 Cotton Bowl where the Longhorns’ star quarterback Bobby Layne accounted for all of the team’s points in a 40-27 victory. The last meeting occurred in 2011 where the University of Missouri came out on top, 17-5, at their home field.

Ticket prices for this game range from $37-200 and may be purchased online at www.academytexasbowl.com or www.ticketmaster.com, on the phone at 832-667-2390 or in person at the NRG Stadium box office inside Bud Light Plaza. Special group packages are available by calling 832-667-2390. Fans can also call 832-667-2160 for more information on suites and premium hospitality. To date, over 50,000 seats have already been sold for the 2017 game.

The 2017 Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl will mark the University of Texas’ second visit after a 31-7 loss to the University of Arkansas in the 2014 edition of the bowl game. In his first season with the team, Head Coach Tom Herman led the Longhorns to a 6-6 regular season with a divisional record of 5-4 in the Big 12, in which they are in a four-way tie for fourth. The team has played in 53 bowl games, a tie with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for second most in all-time bowl appearances following the University of Alabama’s record of 66. The Longhorns hold a 27-24-2 bowl record and this will be their first bowl appearance since the 2014 Texas Bowl.

This year’s trip to the Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl will be the University of Missouri’s second visit to Houston for postseason play after a 35-13 loss to the United States Naval Academy in the 2009 edition of the bowl game. The Tigers are 15-16 overall in postseason play and have not made a bowl appearance since their 33-17 victory against the University of Minnesota in the 2015 Citrus Bowl. In their second season under Head Coach Barry Odom, the University of Missouri finished their regular season with a 7-5 record and a divisional record of 4-4 in the SEC East, which put them in a tie for third. This will be the team’s first bowl game under Odom who has led the team to a record of 11-13.

ACADEMY SPORTS + OUTDOORS TEXAS BOWL

The Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl is owned and operated by ESPN Events and managed locally by Lone Star Sports & Entertainment. The Bowl will showcase teams from the Big 12 and the SEC, two of the country’s premier conferences, for the next three years. The Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl has been a tremendous success both on and off the field over the years. The game has ranked fourth in attendance since 2014 behind only the Rose, Cotton and Peach Bowls in that time. In terms of its community impact, the bowl has generated an average of $50 million annually for the Houston economy and through its relationship with DePelchin Children’s Center, its official charitable beneficiary, more than $1.2 million in financial support has been donated to the city’s oldest children’s charity.

ESPN EventsESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a large portfolio of 31 collegiate sporting events worldwide. The roster includes three Labor Day weekend college football games; FCS opening-weekend game; 14 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events and two college award shows, which accounts for approximately 300-plus hours of programming, reaches almost 64 million viewers and attracts over 700,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in Albuquerque, Birmingham, Boca Raton, Boise, Dallas-Fort Worth, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Montgomery and St. Petersburg, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.

Lone Star Sports & Entertainment is an event management company founded in 2003 that is closely affiliated with the NFL’s Houston Texans. Since its founding, LSSE has established itself as the leading sports event promoter in Houston. In addition to the Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl and the AdvoCare Texas Kickoff, LSSE has emerged as a premier promoter for international soccer matches, including the 2017 Manchester Derby, Copa America Centenario, the 2010 MLS All-Star Game featuring Manchester United, the 2006 FC Barcelona U.S. tour, 2003 and 2008 matches between the United States and Mexico, and the 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cups. LSSE has also reinvigorated the Battle of the Piney Woods presented by H-E-B rivalry between Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston State and has promoted major concerts featuring country superstars including George Strait and Kenny Chesney.